Global Maritime Geosciences Launches New CBRA Approach

Global Maritime’s Geosciences department – “GM Geo” - has launched a novel new approach to Cable Burial Risk Assessment (CBRA).

The industry-standard CBRA guidance was launched by the Carbon Trust in 2015 and set out a probabilistic method for assessing the risk to subsea cables from marine threats such as anchors and fishing gear. The standard assessment provides a 2D assessment along a single alignment and uses relatively conservative probabilistic assessments of risk.

GM Geo’s new approach combines advanced geospatial analysis and the insight of our master mariners to deliver an optimized assessment of risk and required cable burial, saving projects installation cost and time. Critically, the approach utilizes ground modelling techniques and geophysical isopachs to be able to provide sub-bottom 3D risk surfaces over the full site area or route corridor width to drive risk-mitigated routing decisions.

Whilst the approach is novel, and offers significant benefits to projects, it is also compliant with the existing CBRA guidance which is recognized by project insurers.

Gareth Ellery, Global Business Lead Geosciences, commented, ‘We foresaw this approach as a means to transforming how the industry approaches CBRA, delivering a clear ROI to projects whilst offering improved utilization of the CBRA method to efficiently drive routing decisions.’

Liam Murray, Technical Lead GIS, commented, ‘Our improved CBRA approach builds on the existing methodology, both reducing response times and increasing confidence in the model’s parameters. The result is fast, repeatable, transparent and authoritative; possible only as a result of Global Maritime’s unique range of maritime, engineering and geoscience disciplines’.

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE